Macron vows to tackle France’s neglect of autism with €344 million drive

President Macron visited a centre that cares for autistic children this weekCHRISTOPHE ENA/REUTERS

France has unveiled a programme to help the country’s 700,000 people who have autism, a condition that has been badly neglected in a nation that has a high-class health system.

Fulfilling a promise from his election campaign last year, President Macron launched a €344 million drive to raise awareness, improve diagnosis, finance care and integrate autistic children into ordinary schools.

Édouard Philippe, the prime minister, who was accosted yesterday by the parents of an autistic boy, said: “You are right to be outraged. It outrages me. We have fallen behind unacceptably and we have a long way to catch up.”

Despite two government campaigns since 2005, parents still wait more than a year to access diagnostic services then take their children to Belgium or elsewhere…

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